So, you are unhappy in the life you have been living. Of course there are many aspects that go into the life we live every day. With relationships, work, household chores, spirituality, obligations, hobbies, etc.; it often seems that you do not have enough hours in the day to do what you must get done. That does not even include the things you would like to do to help move your life from where it is to where you want to be. But if you look deeper, often you can find areas that you do not use your time and your resources to their greatest efficiency. As part of a five week series and to help you get started on the path to living the life you want to live, here are 5 steps to get your momentum going.

Write down, yes… by hand, exactly what you want your ideal life to look like. Create a clear picture of the life you desire as if you were already living it. Write it in the present tense.

Below are a few questions you may want to ask of yourself but feel free to add or delete any that do not apply to the life you want for yourself.

Describe in detail what your work looks like.

• Who are you working for, an employer or yourself?
• What does your work entail?
• What is the end result in what you are doing?
• What are your hours?
• How much money do you make?
• How do you make it?
• Do you love doing what you do?

Describe in detail what your life looks like. How do you live?

• What does your life look like? Is it a life based on simplicity or is it a life of luxury and leisure? (There is no right or wrong, only you can say what life is authentic to who you are.)
• What does an ideal day of your life entail? From the time you wake up in the morning until the time you go to bed at night, detail your ideal day.
• What is your home like? Describe it room by room. What is the view like from any given location?
• What type of vehicles do you drive (if any)? List them and even what their colors are.
• How do you spend your free time? What do you do?
• What do you listen to or read?
• Where do you want to travel to? When do you want to do it? How long do you wish to spend there?
• What do your finances look like?
• How much money do you want to earn?
• How much do you wish to spend on your lifestyle?
• How much of it do you want to give away to help others?
• Who, if anyone, would you like to help as a result of your success?
• Looking beyond your own life, what would you want your legacy to be? What does it look like?

You get the picture. The goal is to clearly define what your ideal life is so that you can see it and feel it as if you were already living it. It is hard to hit a moving target. The more that you define and detail the life you want to live, the easier it will be to plan for what has to happen in your life to bring these changes about.

Why write it down by hand? In this day and age why not just type it in a document to save on your device? The answer is simple. By writing anything down by hand you establish a connection with your brain that creates an imprint in your mind of what it is that you are writing. Writing stimulates a group of cells located at the base of your brain called the reticular activating system R.A.S. which allows your brain to place priority on what you are focusing on in the moment. You remember it more clearly and when you write down your “goals” your brain will work hard to make what you write your reality. You can read more on why writing works better than typing by clicking here or by copying and pasting the following link into your browser: http://lifehacker.com/5738093/why-you-learn-more-effectively-by-writing-than-typing.

You need to understand that you not only need to define what your ideal life looks like but you also need to start living it in the present as much as possible. Be in the mindset of the person you wish to become every day. Live your dream by bringing it into your real life. Go and test drive the car you wish to own. Take open house tours of the type of homes you want to live in. Take pictures and absorb the environment that you are in. Start building relationships with those people that you wish to become friends with.

Do not make the mistake of letting where you currently are in life define where you are going. The challenge you will encounter in everyday life is establishing the mindset and belief that you deserve to be where you wish to be. The more you surround yourself with the life that you wish to live, the greater the attraction becomes to draw those things into your reality. Seeing is not believing, believing is seeing.

Please join us for our next article in our series – Part 2 – Getting Comfortable With The Idea Of Being Uncomfortable.